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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Ecuador's Correa, the bellâtre called to task

And of course I could not let pass this most delicious item: Correa being exposed as receiving FARC funding for his electoral campaigns.

A brief historical recount. Correa is the opportunist who used a brief stint in a transition government from where he was fired as his competence was questioned to direct the country's economy. Uniting reasonable good looks to a populist language and most certainly Chavez/FARC financing he managed to get enough votes to squeeze into a second round presidential ballot. Helped by a really terrible opponent, Noboa, who made mistake after mistake he managed to get elected Ecuador's president, not by much. But that was enough.

Soon he was applying the Chavez recipe of calling for a new constitution and thus removing any institutional controls that were in his way. He was crafty enough not to appear too close of Chavez but as soon as the new constitution was voted in and he got reelected, all masks were out and he finally joined the ALBA as a full fledged member. The only reason why Ecuador has not fared as bad as Venezuela is because its currency remains the US dollar and as such there is only so much that Correa can do to subvert the economy to his political designs as Chavez did. But one has the feeling that Correa is only biding his time to reestablish a Mickey mouse currency for Ecuador.

This being said, rumors of Chavez and FARC help have always been swirling around Correa. Until now he has managed to avoid major damage, EVEN after Colombia bombed inside Ecuador a major FARC safe camp, killing a FARC chief, Reyes, and getting precious FARC laptops that Uribe's government skilfully used to silence as needed Chavez and Correa.

But apparently Correa was not too worried since he has refused to renew relations with Colombia, criticizing Uribe at any opportunity (Chavez swallowed hard and played dumb). This might be over now as Colombia in another raid seized yet new computers of FARC supporters that yielded, lo'n behold, a video of a a major FARC don stating as a matter of fact that he gave money to Correa's campaigns.

Correa of course had the knee jerk reactions of all the "bolivarians" caught red handed: he denied everything and called it a set up. Unfortunately when you see the video it is difficult to call it a fake. If it is indeed a set up, then the FARC is trying to screw Correa. They would have their reasons I suppose.

Colombia did not worry much and today sent the video to the OAS, cornering Correa real good, in the middle of the Honduras crisis, as Correa is one of the most vociferous cast members. You have got to love the timing!

Now Correa seems reluctantly to be willing to "investigate".

Correa seemed always to me what we call in French a "bellâtre", something of difficult translation. Pretentious bimbo would come close, though Correa is not blond, with my apologies to all the smart blondes I met through life. But bellâtre means empty brain, void of real substance and for all his charms and PhD in economics I always wondered about the guy real depth of character. At least Chavez is a thug, does not really pretend to be otherwise and has real street smarts. Correa seems to have been spared real challenges in his political life and now that for the first time he is facing a real threat we might see what he is really all about. I am not expecting much.

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